Shock-absorber for vehicles.



L. RENAULT.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOB VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED APB. 2, 1906.

907,644. Patented Dec.22, 1908.

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L. RENAULT.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED APB. z, 1906.

907,644. Patented 1380.22, 1908.

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SHGGK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION-FILED APB.. 2, 1906.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

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SHOGK-ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Applcaton'led April 2, 1906. Serial No. 309,514.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

To allv who/met may concern:

Be it known that l., LOUIS RENAULT, engineer, citizen of the French Republic, residing at Billancourt, Department of Seine, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Butters or Shock-Absorbers for Vehicles, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to a buiier or shock absorber for the suspension of motor or other vehicles of the kind in which a piston connected to the axle by a' lever and connecting rods moves in al cylinder filled with a liquid, the two extremities of the cylinder containing liquid communicating one with the other b a passage adapted to be more or less cliosed by means of a pin cock. A feature of buffers or shock absorbers of this kind is that their piston is wholly surrounded with liquid which renders the use of a stuffing box unnecessary and at the same time prevents any leakage of the liquid to the exterior; in point of fact any leakage, which mi ht occur between the piston and the wall, itself tends to till the opposite chamber without exerting any pressure of the liquid upon the parts in communication with the atmosphere.

The invention has for its object the construction of a device of the character set forth wherein the absolute filling of the two end chambers of the buffer or shock absorber is insured to prevent a partial vacuum which is produced in the buii'ers or shock absorbers oi' this kind, already known where too heavy suction is produced.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of amodification. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the connection betweenthe apparatus and the frame of a motor vehicle. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a further modification. Fig. 5 is a view of a modified part of Fig. 4.

The butler or shock absorber comprises two pistons 2, 3 (Fig. 1) moving in a cylinder 1 fixed to the frame of the vehicle. These pistons areprovided with o enings 4 and are connected together by aro 5 which may be moved longitudinally in one direction or in the other, by means of the shocks received by the axle through the medium of a suitable gearing, for instance by levers 6 and 7 fixed on the same shaft 8. The lever 7 is connected by any suitable means to the axle 9, for instance by a connecting rod 10 (Fig. 3).

The rod 5 connecting the two pistons carries two plates 11, 12 which are adapted to close the openings of one of the pistons or of the other.

The apparatus works as follows: The apparatus being completely filled with a liquid, any strain exerted on the lever 7 is transmitted to one ofthe pistons or to the other by means of the lever 6 and the rod 5. One of the plates 11 or 12 immediately bears against the openings of the corresponding piston in consequence of the small relative displacement of the rod 5 with respect to the pistons. The liquid compressed in one of the end chambers tends to escape, and passes through the passage 13 provided with a pin cock. But it is obvious that, inasmuch as the piston is not perfectly tight, a certain amount of liquid will pass between the piston and the cylinder. This liduid will be immediately sucked up by the other piston and will penetrate in the other end chamber of the cylindel" through the openings of the said piston. In all lcircumstances the absolute illing of the end chambers is thus insured, and a partial vacuum produced by a too sudden suction is prevented.

ln the apparatus shown by Fig. 2 the plates 11 and l2 and the openings 4 in the pistons are dispensed with, andthe pistons in this instance are provided with leather valve cups. The leather valve cups 14, 15 of the pistons are so arranged that the liquid may ea ily pass from the central part or intermediate chamber 16 of the. apparatus to the end chambers 17, 18 and contrariwise the liquid which is in the end` chambers can not pass again in the central part 16.

ln the modiiication shown on Fig. 4, in order to vfacilitate manufacture, the body of the shock absorbing device is made in two parts 1 1 which are approximately similar and which are secured together by means of bolts which are exactly centered relatively one to the other. The two pistons .2 and 3 which are in juxtaposition, receive their movement, as hereinbefore explained by means of a system of levers 6, 7. A novel feature of this embodiment of the invention is that the pistons 2 and 3 have a longitudinal cylindrical passage 19 in which is mounted a rod 20 ixed by a nut 23 at one end of the casing leaving a certain amount of play between it and the walls of the'said passage 19. This annular space permits of the passage of the liquid contained in the apparatus from the chamber at one end of the piston to the Theoperation is as follows: The apparatus being completely filled with liquid, an effort exerted upon the lever 7 is transmitted to the double piston by the lever connecting it with the external lever; the liquidin the chamber at one end 17 or 18 being thereby compressed tends to escape and passing through the annular space 19 in the center of the piston proceeds directly into the chamber, at the other end 18 or 17. The rod 20 passing through the center of the piston is cylindrical but it may be conical at its two extremities as shown on Fig. 5 thus causing the resistance of the shock absorbing device to vary at the two ends of the travel of the double piston. The rod may also be cylindrical with one conical extremity, or it may be entirely conical for braking in one direction. Obvlously the resistance of the shock absorbing device depends upon the sizeof the annular space between the rod and the bore of the piston; this resistanceis therefore modified by altering the rod.' A set of rods of different diameter may be employed, itbeing easy to interchange them,`since in order to do so it is only necessary to unscrew the nut 23, remove the rod and replace it with another of larger or smaller diameter. Any dismounting or regulation of the apparatus is Ithus avoided.

t is evident that instead ofthe valve cups shown in Fig. 4 leather valve cups similar to those shown in 2 may be used.

Havin thus described and ascertained the nature o my invention and in what manner the same may be performed, I declare that what I claim` is:

1. In ashock absorber of the class described, a fluid receiving cylinder, an element forming opposite pistons for dividing the cg inder into three compartments and mova 'le therein throughout the longitudinal extent of the same, means .connecting these compartments, one with another, one compartment bein intermediate the opposing' pistons and '51e others beyond the same, and means associated with an axle of a vehicle and with said element to move the latter.

2. In a shock absorber of the class described, a cylinder having means for admitting a' fluid thereto, means independent of the c linder and movable within the same, and eing adapted to divide said cylinder into three compartments, said means having ports forming communication between each compartment, and an oscillatory element having connection with an axle of a vehicle and associated with the movable means to actuate the same.

3. A shock absorber of the class described having a iiuid receivingncylinder, a movable member within said cy der and free of the latter, said member having piston heads for dividin the cylinder into three compartments, evers associated with the said movable member and with an axle of a vehicle,

and adapted to actuate the said member on the movement of the axle, a passage connecting the outer of said three compartments and manually o erable means for regulating .the amount of uid passing through said passage.

4. A shock absorber of the classl described having a fluid receiving cylinder, a movable element within the cylinder, and free to move throughoutv the longitudinal extent of the same, piston heads carried by said element, the latter being spaced from' each other to divide the c linder into three com artments, mean assoclated with the iston eads and element for transferring t e fluid from one compartment to the other, a lever connected with said movable element between said piston heads, a second lever operatively connected 'with the rst lever and also adapted for connection with an axle, a passage connecting the outer of said three compartments and a valve'for regulating theV amount of iluid through said passage.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myv hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS RENAULT. Witnesses:

PIERRE L. Lmssn, EMILE KLo'rz. 

